Frozen embryo breakthrough
MDCresearch challenge?
By Marianne Curtis
THE Milk Development Council is to spend £250,000 running focus centres based at dairy research establishments to disseminate its research results. But despite its move to improve technology transfer, some producers are questioning whether the levy is worthwhile, and whether research is in tune with business needs.
Announcing the new initiative at a London press briefing last week, MDC technical manager Kevin Bellamy explained there would be eight centres, from SACs Crichton Royal, Dumfries, in the north, to Duchy College, Cornwall, in the south.
At each centre, an appointed staff member will co-ordinate meetings, speakers and farm walks covering topics requested by a local producer advisory panel.
"Events will be based on well researched information and new techniques. They are designed to drive down production costs and maximise profits by helping farmers make changes for the better.
"We also aim to form links with existing discussion groups, persuading them to come to a yearly meeting at centres."
The MDC hopes that more producers will attend its technology transfer meetings this year: Last year, only 10% of 30,000 levy-paying milk producers attended events which SAC, Axient, ADAS and DRC received a total of £40,000 each to host.
"More producers need to grasp whats on offer," says Mr Bellamy.
ADAS Bridgets, Hants, is one of the focus centres. Co-ordinator Mike Proven says its share of the money will be spent on six autumn and spring meetings and a summer farm walk. "These will be presentations on MDC research in relation to a particular topic."
Mr Proven believes that Bridgets should attract 50-60 producers to each meeting and more in summer.
Some producers believe that centres are too geographically spread, and assurance that information is worthwhile would be required to persuade Devon producer Peter Wastenage to make the two-hour round-trip to his local centre – Duchy College. "An MDC meeting I went to in Tiverton last autumn was very basic with insufficient detail."
Pitching meetings at the right level is difficult, says MDC chief executive Peter Merson. But based on feedback from last years meetings, he believes they got it about right.
"For smaller groups of producers requiring more in depth information we can put them in touch with interest groups and hope to tailor training programmes to address these needs in future."
Powys producer Angus Dalton gives the initiative a cautious welcome, and stresses that it is important to continue with R&D. "Perhaps farmers dont realise there needs to be a central body such as the MDC to co-ordinate research."
But some producers, including Shropshire farmer Andrew Shakeshaft, are taking issue with research topics. "A lot of MDC research is repetitive and about things Ive known for years such as silage making and cows feet."
Responding to this criticism, Mr Bellamy says that MDC research has only been going for three years. "We have only now got enough in-depth information to have this rigorous technology transfer program at focus centres.
"Also, research tends to be evolution rather than revolution. For instance, the Feed into Milk project will change the rationing system, but the benefits wont be seen overnight."
But with the average producer paying £240 a year to the MDC, Mr Shakeshaft is not convinced he is getting value for money, and believes money would be better spent on advertising. "At the moment I think funding MDC work is a waste of money."
However, Mr Bellamy points out that the levy is less than 0.27% of the current milk price. "This is a very small amount compared with the 5-10% spent by most other industries.
"I am worried that were diverting time and money convincing farmers that we have to fund research rather than spending it on research. I feel were being criticised for not getting the message across, but if producers look at research they should find something in it for their businesses."
RUMAurges good medicine practice
A NEW body – the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance – is urging pig and poultry producers to take practical steps to ensure that antimicrobials are used carefully.
To push its message RUMA has published comprehensive reports on antimicrobial use for pig and poultry producers providing detailed information on how to avoid misusing antimicrobials. Reports for the other livestock sectors will follow shortly.
The information is also summarised in two four-page brochures that will be distributed at shows and events by alliance members from agricultural, veterinary, pharmaceutical and retail interests.
Among 14 bullet points in each brochure, RUMA urges producers to view therapeutic antimicrobial products only as a complement to good management practice, vaccination programmes and site hygiene.
It insists that producers must use therapeutic products with formal veterinary approval only and ensure Medicated Feedingstuff Prescriptions are in order for in-feed medication.
The advice also encourages producers to administer courses of treatment at the correct dosage. It says that medicines must be administered effectively and treatment courses completed.
At the reports launch in London this week the NFUs animal health and welfare chairman and RUMA chairman Brian Jennings highlighted accurate record keeping as a key feature of the report.
Mr Jennings called for producers to co-operate with farm assurance schemes which monitor antimicrobial use, medication documentation and withdrawal period compliance.
He added that producers should track antimicrobial use and take account of the effectiveness of treatments and to contact vets if animals failed to respond.
Frozen embryo breakthrough
A NEW embryo sexing technique allows UK cattle producers to freeze embryos for transfer at a later date after cells are removed for sexing, says UK supplier of the service, Bovine-Genetics.
The Warks-based company says that since 1993 embryos have been sexed by cutting a minute section from a six to seven-day-old embryo to remove a few cells after they are flushed from donor cows. But this damages the embryos protective shell making it impossible to freeze them.
However, a new technique uses a fine needle to remove two or three cells and causes no damage to the embryo, so they can be frozen, says the companys Stella Scholes. Embryos can be frozen in either ethylene glycol for the direct transfer thawing technique or glycerol. "In trials, pregnancy rates have been higher than for unfrozen sexed embryos, at above 70%," she adds.
Cells are sexed using the same method as before – by separating the male and female DNA using a chemical process.
The service is offered at the Bovine-Genetics residential centre or on-farm.